Stereotype plate finishing machine



May 29, 1934.

G. E. PANcoAsT 1,960,752

STEREOTYPE PLATE FINISHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 16, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet l May 29, 1934- G. E. PANcoAsT 1,960,752

STEREOTYPE PLATE FINISHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 16, 1933 y 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 29, 1934. G. E. PANCOAST- STEREOTYPE PLATE FINISHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 16, 1935 Patented May 29, 1934 TENT OFFC STEREOTYPE PLATE FINISHING MACHINE George E. Pancoast, Seabright, N.

J., assignor to Wood Newspaper Machinery Corporation, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of Virgi nia Application August 16, 1933, Serial No. 685,404

6 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to that type of machine used in finishing stereotype printing plates and particularly plates used in newspaper printing. vIt also relates specifically to that type of finishing machine in which two or more machines deliver the plates to one conveyor or other destination.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an eiicient and simple means for so timing the discharge of plates from each one of the iinishing machines of a set served by a single conveyor or the like that the plates from one conveyor will be forced to alternate with those of any other without interference with each other as they come into the conveyor.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby, in case the machines are not set properly, the motor which operates the two or kmore finishing machines will be caused to stop.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan of a set of two nishing machines or autoshaver driven by a single motor, both of which discharge plates to a common con- Veyor;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same;

Fig. 2a is a continuation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end view of one of the showing the switch cam;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the other autoshaver and these two figures show the proper relative positions of the two switch cams; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the two switch cams out of time and demonstrating how the switches in the control circuit of the motor cause it to cease operating.

In a multiple machine of this kind an individual shaving machine performs the function of shaving the inside of the plate, cooling the plate and Awiping excess water from the inside of the plate, as usual. After this, it is delivered to the conveyor. These multiple machines are used in moderate sized printing plants.

It has been the practice heretofore to supply an intricate system of switches so that one plate coming from one finishing machine will not foul that coming from another. By this invention the machines are absolutely stopped at the beginning of an operation which would cause the plates to autoshavers l `come into contact with each other.

An autoshaver 1 is shown having a loading The usual knives 7 are provided and the shaving knife bars 8 are rotatably mounted concen- 655 tric with the arch, on each of which is a worm wheel 9 through which it receives its drive from a worm 10 which may be considered as integral with a shaft l1. The latter is mounted by bearings in the frame of the machine and carries a shear pin hub 12 which, by means of a shear pin 13, is connected with a shear pin hub 14 carried on a transverse shaft 15. On the other end of the shaft 15 is fixed a bevel gear 16.

The shaft 15 is rotatably mounted in bearings 75' l the end of the motor shaft 19 which is coupled to the motor by a coupling 20. Secured to the shaft 19 is a bevel pinion 21 bevel gears 16 on the opposite sides, in the form shown.

As will appear from the above, each of the;- bevel gears 16 operates one of the autoshavers. The rotation of the armature of through the shaft 19 and pinion two shaving machines.

On the upper end of the knife of the two inclined machines is 21, drives the bar 8 of each fixed a switch cam 22. If a battery of two machines is running, each switch cam has a high portion of 180" substantially and a low portion of the same arc. Each of these cams operates the roller of an electric switch 23 in one case and 24 in the other. It will be apparent that, by removing the shear pins 13 of either one of the shear pin couplings, one autoshaver may be rotated independently of the other so that the knife bars may take any particular angular relation to each other,

tact will be established in the switch 23 before a contact 1s broken in switch 24 and vice versa. 105.` These switches are in parallel circuits, as shown in Fig. 6, which parallel circuits are in circuit with the motor circuit. Therefore, if the two cams both get on the low part at the same time .y the motor circuit will be broken and both ma- 11'0-v which meshes with two 86 the motor 18, 85;

2; chines will stop. This is what is shown in Fig. 6.

It will be seen therefore that the two switches 23 and 24 are used to insure proper timing for the two shaving machines to obtain the desired sequence in the discharge of the plates therefrom and if that sequence is not correct or nearly correct the machine will not operate.

In Fig. 1 a plate lfl` is shown, being delivered to a conveyor 25 from the autoshaver A while a plate P is just being discharged from the autoshaver B. The timing is such that the conveyor will have moved the plate P out of. the chute 27 by the time the plate P reaches the conveyor.

It is evident that there is some leeway and that it is not absolutely necessary that the autoshavers" be spaced 180 and that when the run from one autoshaver is different from that of its companion autoshaver it will be desirable to set the shaving knives at some angular displacement other than 180 to obtain proper timing of the Vplates delivered to the conveyor 25. This can be done by properly adjusting the switch cams 22.

Of course, in cases where three or more autoshavers are arranged to deliver to a single conveyor the relationship will be different in obvious particulars.

It will be seen that in a plant of this type the difficulties heretofore mentioned are avoided in avery simple manner which works mechanically and without any delicate timing devices or any intricate system of switch trips or the like.

Although. I have illustrated and described only one form of the invention I am aware of the fact that modiiications can be made thereinby any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I, do not wish to be limited in this respect otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:-

1. In a plant for preparing stereotype printing plates, the combination ofa plurality of finishing machines, a single conveyor, and means by which the plates can be delivered from the finishing machines to the conveyor, with means for timing the discharge of the plates from the several finishing machines so that the plates. will reach the conveyor in proper sequence without interferencel with each other.

.2. In a plant for finishing bination with a plurality of finishing machines, a `conveyor for receiving the products, and means for transferring the productsV from all of said machinesto said conveyor, of meansfor operating all of. said finishing machines and means when any of said machines is so timed with respect to the other mathat the products would interwhereby, as to so operate chine or machines Girl? castings, the comfere with each other in passing to the conveyor, all the machines will stop.

3. In a plant for finishing stereotype printing plates, the combination of a plurality of finishing machines, a single device to which said machines deliver their finished product, a single means for operating the nishing machines, and means whereby, when a machine is so timed with respect to another that it will deliver its product at a time to engage the product of another machine, the said machine will be stopped automatically.

4. The combination of a plurality of finishing machines, a motor, means for connecting the motor with both machines for operating them, a conveyor arranged in position to receive the products from said machines, and means whereby said machines can be turned independently of each other for the purpose of adjusting the relationship of the delivery of the products therefrom so that they will` not interfere with each other in passing to the conveyor.

5. The combination with,` a plurality. ofy iinishing machines, a motor having a, pinion operated thereby, said pinions, a shaft connectedwith eachgear, means operated by said shafts'for operating the nishing machines, eachfmishing-machine having a shaft, a cam on each of4 the last` named. shafts, and a switch for each cam, said switches being arranged to be held closed when the high part of their respective cams pass througha cer.- tain arc, and all the cams together` being solarranged that one or the other of said-switches will be closed at all times during the normaloperation of the machine.

6. The combination with a plurality of finishing machines, a motor having a pinion operated thereby, a'plurality of gears meshing with said pinion, a shaft connected witheachgear, means operated by said shafts for operating the finishing machines, each finishingmachine having a shaft, a cam on each of a switch for each cam, saidswitches being arranged to be held closed whenthe high part of. their respective cams passA through a certain arc, and all the cams together being so. ar,- ranged that one or the other of said switches will be closed at all times duringthe normaloperation of the machine, parallel circuits Iin-which said switches are located, and a main circuitcoIl-y nested with the parallel circuits and the: motor, whereby if one of said cams .is sufcientlybutof. position, all the. branch circuits` will be opened at the same. instant during the rotation ofthe shafts and the motor will stop, thusstopping. the machine.

GEO. E. PANCOAST.

a plurality of gearsmeshing with l the lastnarned shafts, 

